Ventilating skylight



March 28, 1967 H. J. ATKINSON 3,311,043

VENTILATING SKYLIGHT Filed April 13 1965 INVENTOR HERBERT J. ATKINSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,311,043 VENTILATING SKYLIGHT Herbert J. Atkinson, Sudbury Laboratory, Sudbury, Mass. 01776 Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,789

. 1 Claim. (CI. 98-37) This invention represents an improvement on the invention disclosed in my United States Patent 2,711,126, dated June 26, 1955, and the objects of the invention are broadly the same with the exception that the present construction provides for more efficient action in keeping water out of the air flow opening in the bottom plate and in particular allowing water within the dome of the skylight toflow by gravity out at all sides thereof, i.e, around 360 of the skylight, rather than at a few widely spaced drains.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of making the entire ventilating skylight of only two pieces of molded or cast material which are very easy to install.

The objects of the invention are carried out in general by providnig a substantially flat bottom plate with a ventilating air opening in it, the plate being attached to the deck or other surface at an opening therein, and a dome element with a corresponding edge is adapted to be secured to the plate but in slightly spaced relation therefrom. The entire edge of the combined plate and dome being spaced, water easily flows out at all points along the circumference thereof.

Also, the two parts are provided with new and improved rim portions at the openings thereof, i.e., the opening in the face of the dome and in the base plate, thus more efficiently preventing the entrance of water.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the new skylight;

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section therethrough, and

FIG. 3 is a partial bottom plan view.

The novel skylight is made of two main parts of any kind of suitable material such as metal or plastic or the like. The reference numeral indicates the bottom plate which is preferably circular but can be any shape, and is substantially flat except for the air intake extension 12.

The other main part is the dome portion 14 which corresponds in shape to the bottom plate and has a circumferential flange 16 generally coextensive with the edge portion of the plate 10 and which is adapted to be secured thereto.

The plate 10 is provided to completely cover an opening at 18 in a deck, floor, roof, or the like 2.0. This plate is applied to the hole completely covering the same and waterproofing beading or compound is placed between the two to prevent any leak under the plate 10.

The bottom plate 10 is also provided with the upwardly extending air intake 12 which in this case is shown as preferably elongated and located adjacent the periphery of the plate 10. It has an opennig in it as at 22, this opening being surrounded by an inwardly directed rim 24 and comprises in general an upstanding wall which surrounds an opening through the plate. These walls are preferably 3,311,043 Patented Mar. 28, 1967 tapered inwardly slightly as clearly shown in FIG. 2 and terminate in the inwardly directed rim 24 above described.

If desired a pairof doors 26, 26 may be pivoted to the bottom of the plate and latched in position by a bracket 28 so as to prevent too great a breeze from blowing through when necessary.

The dome 14 besides the peripheral flange described includes the semi-dome portion 32, the forward substantially diametrical face 34 of which provides for a water and air opening into the dome, and a somewhat slanted, closed front plate portion 36 extending down to a sharper declivity at 38 blending into the peripheral rim 16.

The extreme peripheral edge 40 of the dome is shown to be rounded over and extended slightly downwardly forming a lip. This lip extends slightly beyond the extreme edge 42 of the plate 10. Spacers 44, 44 are applied in any desired manner to space the flange 16 of the dome from the peripheral edge portion of bottom plate 10, and this is conveniently done by providing screws or the like 46 which extend through flange 16, through the spacers 44, through plate 10, and into the deck, but any fasteners desired can be utilized.

The combined air and water will enter the open face 34 of the dome and it is pointed out that the water will flow over the edge 48 and down onto the plate 10, the edge 48 being to the rear of the nearest part of the air opening 12. The accumulated water in the dome will then immediately flow out of the dome, over the extreme edge of the plate, by gravity. Any slight rocking of the vessel will of course alter the inclination of the device which is fixed to the deck, roof, etc. and thus the present ventilating skylight will always be clear of water. The downturned edge of the dome at 40 tends to aid in preventing the entrance of water in the reverse direction but the main point is that there is a gap circumferentially located with respect to the dome and the plate, this gap being indicated by the reference numeral 50, and this gap of course extends 360 about the entire device.

Therefore it makes no difference at what inclination to the horizontal the new ventilating skylight happens to be positioned, all of the water that enters it will always be drained out almost immediately, but at the same time the draft of air will flow in through the opening in face 34 and through the air intake member 12 into the interior of the boat, etc. to which the ventilator is applied.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

A ventilating skylight construction comprising two main members,

one of said members comprising a generally flat late adapted to cover an opening, an air intake opening in said plate to one side of the center thereof, and a wall rising from the plate about the opening,

the other member comprising a dome member having substantially a one-half portion thereof substantially flat and continuous and located directly over the air intake opening in the plate, said dome member including a semi-dome having a substantially flat face portion with an opening therein, the flat face portion being located substantially normal to said plate and closer to the center of the plate than the air intake opening, a circumferential flange on said dome member, means securing said flange to the edge portion of said bottom plate, and washers interposed be- References Cited by the Examiner tween the flange and bottom plate holding the flange UNITED STATES PATENTS and bottom plate in slightly spaced relation thereto 2,711,126 6/1955 Atkinson 98-13 providing a water outlet clrcumferentially of the sky- 3 103 870 9/1963 Steiner X 1' ht the extreme ed e of the flan e in the dome 5 1g Y a 3,107,598 10/1963 Rudy 9s 42 member extending outwardly beyond the extreme 3,112,687 12/1953 Henneberger 98 13 edge of the bottom plate, and being rounded and extending downwardly slightly toward the edge of the FOREIGN PATENTS plate, whereby a minimum of water will enter the 1,225,306 5/1959 Franceskylight between the flange and the bottom plate but 10 water in the skylight will run out at all circumferen- ROBERT O LEARY PnmgI-y E xammer tial points thereof. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

